Press Release

WILKES-BARRE – Blue Health Solutions, the wellness program available to members and customers of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BCNEPA), has once again been recognized by a national certification agency for its program excellence.

The most prestigious of the three awards honored Blue Health Solutions for achieving a 3.8-to-1 return on investment (ROI) based on a decline in events and a decline in events relative to prevalence with chronic diseases. As a result, DMPC awarded BCNEPA its Letter of Validation for ROI using the transparent and valid event rate-based methodology described in DMPC president Al Lewis's critically acclaimed book Why Nobody Believes the Numbers - Distinguishing Fact from Fiction in Population Health Management.

Another award singled out BCNEPA for achieving the greatest validly measured improvement in outcomes for members with chronic disease of any health plan in Pennsylvania this year.

A. Paul Holdren, senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer for BCNEPA, recognizes the benefits of Blue Health Solutions for his customers and members.

"By utilizing the experienced health coaches and online tools that are provided by Blue Health Solutions, we offer our customers, their employees, and their covered family members the support they need to achieve their wellness goals, manage chronic diseases and engage in more healthy behaviors," said Holdren.

The tools available through Blue Health Solutions include a suite of care management, lifestyle and wellness programs, including access to registered nurses and social workers who serve as health coaches and work directly with individual members.

"Our success comes from the individual approach our health coaches take with each member," said Laura Mertz, vice president and general manager.

"Creating a personalized management plan that reflects the participant's health status and goals helps that member manage their condition and achieve better outcomes."

In validating the outcomes of Blue Health Solutions, DMPC president Al Lewis distinguished the program from all the others in the Commonwealth, saying "No other Pennsylvania carrier's disease management program has been validated by any vendor that accepts financial risk for the veracity of their statements and methodology."

"The results Blue Health Solutions is achieving show that there is real value in disease management and wellness programs, both for individual members and for employers," said Mertz. "When chronic conditions are better managed, participants can improve their health status and quality of life. And the data from employees who are engaged in a wellness or disease management program indicate lower health care costs."

About Blue Cross of Northeastern PennsylvaniaHeadquartered in Wilkes-Barre, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCNEPA offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to nearly 545,000 individuals in 13 counties in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania. The company's mission is to provide integrated health care services and products to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of health care in the populations it serves.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 37 independent, community-based and locally-operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for
nearly 105 million
members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.